Teachers: What we need to do to fix schoolsFew things in our world are helped by looking through an either/or lens. Reality, in my experience at least, is far too ambiguous to be seen as all one color or another. Unfortunately, many "school reformers"--often with little teacher consultation--come across as having just that sort of view, offering a short, simplistic list of "answers" (merit pay, charter schools, ending tenure, standardized testing) to the challenges facing our schools.

Education Wars: States Battle For Brains The end of stimulus -- as well as the power shift in Congress -- will have a profound effect on which regions and states can position themselves for the longer-term recovery. Nowhere will this be more critical than in the battle for brains.

States to try outsourcing economic developmentThe question of how to empower business leaders to play a more meaningful role in state economic development efforts without sacrificing the accountability and transparency with which public funds are used is hardly a new one. A number of states -- including Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Utah and Virginia -- have privatized some aspects of their economic development functions in recent years, with mixed results.

Is Angel Investing just a "pile of angels" who can't lead?Joshua Schachter doesn't like the idea of start-ups taking money from "a pile of angels" instead of a venture capitalist who's built a syndicate to fund a company. "No one is leading," he says of the angels, "and so no one has responsibility when it's time to raise money again."

Funding and Building your Business

Be Sure Your Startup Has a Clear Value PropositionWhile entrepreneurs freely throw around the term "value proposition," they rarely offer a thoughtful explanation for the "value" their business is providing and, more importantly, an understanding of who their real customer is and what valuable benefit their customer perceives they are receiving.

John Landry's fix for angel capital: Get rid of the exitAngel investor John Landry has been telling anyone who will listen about a new term sheet he wants to write for high-tech startups. Revenue royalty is a financing structure often used to fund large-scale energy projects, in which investors take no equity, but instead draw a percentage of income until the company has paid off a pre-arranged return.

The Economic Benefits of Reducing Montana's Dropout RateConvinced that the percentage of adults who do not have their high school diploma
represented a serious economic problem in our state, we want to show high school
dropouts that they can take the first step towards obtaining their GED; they can
forge ahead to better lives for themselves and the state.

Top Test Scores in Math and Science From Shanghai Stun U.S. Educators"Wow, I'm kind of stunned, I'm thinking Sputnik," said Chester E. Finn Jr., who served in President Ronald Reagan's Department of Education, referring to the groundbreaking Soviet satellite launching. Mr. Finn, who has visited schools all across China, said, "I've seen how relentless the Chinese are at accomplishing goals, and if they can do this in Shanghai in 2009, they can do it in 10 cities in 2019, and in 50 cities by 2029."

Wharton, RebootedThe nation's oldest graduate school of business is adopting sweeping changes to its M.B.A. curriculum that come with a unique acknowledgment: two years of study alone cannot prepare graduates for decades of future unpredictability.

"Nevada: 50th in the Nation for Education" - To diversify, Nevada must better educate, community leaders concludeNevada's historically stingy funding of K-12 and higher education is the foundation of a report -- "Nevada: 50th in the Nation for Education" -- prepared by state leaders in fields such as banking, architecture and real estate. The report says Nevada will never rise above its dependence on boom and bust cycles tied to tourism and construction if its government leaders continue to depend on low taxes -- instead of top-notch schools -- as their ace in the hole for attracting businesses.